CHRISTIANITY

WHAT IS CHRISTIANITY?
A diverse, 2000 year old religion
Followed by almost 1/3 of the worlds population ; 2.1 billion
Based on the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus
Believed to be the Christ (messiah, savior) by his followers (thus called Christians)
HISTORY
The early church was founded by the Twelve Apostles, but this did not occur straight after Jesus death and
ascension.
A great deal of persecution followed Jesus ascension and many of his followers were killed and imprisoned
simply because of what they believed.
Christianity only became legal in the fourth century, when Constantine I formed the First Council of Nicea, which
wrote the Nicene Creed. This creed is still used throughout the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church
and the Eastern Orthodox Church.
In 380, Christianity was officially made the religion of the Roman Empire. In the following years, it was declared
that Jesus was both fully man and fully God, the books of the Bible were determined
MAJOR DIVISIONS
Roman Catholic 1.1 billion
Eastern Orthodox 217 million
Protestant 365 million
Anglican 80 million
CATHOLICISM
Pope is supreme spiritual leader and Vatican head of state
- Vatican City is an independent country surrounded by Rome
- St. Peters Basilica, St. Peters Square
First pope was Leo I (officially), or St. Peter
ORTHODOXY
Literally means right teaching or right worship
- Derived from two Greek words: orthos (right) and doxa (teaching or worship)
Followers believe that there were false teachings and divisions in early Christian times
- Threatened the identity and purity of the Church
- Followers believe the Orthodox Church carefully guards the truth against all error and
schism
Believe in saint worship, Eucharist, confession of sins, baptism
PROTESTANTS
Movement from 16th century Reformation
-To reform the (Catholic) church (Corruption, leadership, authority, etc.)
-Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox
-Brought to America in various forms
Usually recognize only 2 sacraments of baptism and communion
-7 in Catholicism
-No saints, no rosary, no pope, etc.
ANGLICAN
Began in 6th century England
Followed Luthers protest
King Henry VIII spent most of his reign challenging the authority of Rome
- Divorce was just one issue
Spread by English colonization and missionaries
Do not follow Popes authority
- Led by bishops
- Now ordain women priests
Book of Common Prayer
Often called Episcopal
BASIC CHRISTIAN BELIEFS
GOD - The Bible is the basis of Christian beliefs. Christians believe that there is only one God, whom they call
Father as Jesus Christ taught them.
JESUS - Christians recognize Jesus as the Son of God who was sent to save mankind from death and sin.
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH - Christians believe that through their belief in Jesus they can have a right relationship
with God whose forgiveness was made once and for all through the death of Jesus Christ.
THE TRINITY - Christians believe in the Trinity - that is, in God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
LIFE AFTER DEATH - Christians believe that there is a life after earthly death.
THE SAINTS - Saint is conferred by the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches through a process called
canonization.
SOCIAL TEACHINGS (the teachings of Jesus Christ)
Focused on the kingdom of God
The teachings of Jesus have been more influential than any other aspect of the life of Christ. Jesus taught
with sermons and parables.
SERMONS - Jesus Christ gives sermons to his people and by that, the people learns how to live the way God
desires.
Sermon on the Mount - The greatest sermon of Jesus Christ. It contains the Lord's prayer, the golden
rule, and practical advice for Christian living.
PARABLES - The parables are more than just interesting stories. They contain practical lessons for life.
ACTS AND TRADITIONS
BAPTISM - Baptism marks the entry of the believer into the Christian community.
CONFIRMATION - The Sacrament of Confirmation is our own Pentecost. When we are confirmed, we receive the
Holy Spirit, through the anointing with oil and the laying on of hands by the bishop or a priest appointed
by him.
EUCHARIST - The Eucharist is the sacrament in which we receive the Body and Blood of Christ. The Church
teaches that Christ is really present in the bread and wine that have been consecrated by the priest at
Mass.
RECONCILIATION OR PENANCE - The Sacrament of Reconciliation gives us the opportunity to express our
sorrow for things we have done wrong, to heal broken relationships, to forgive ourselves and others,
and to open up the channels of communication between ourselves and God.
Confession is above all a place of healing, not a place of judgment or punishment.
ANOINTING OF THE SICK - Through the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick we are assured that God will
raise us up, like Jesus, from our bed of pain and sickness and lead us to eternal life.
HOLY ORDERS - Within the Church there are many means of service. One way of service stands out as a
sacrament, namely Holy Orders, which ordain the recipient to the office of bishop, priest or deacon.
MATRIMONY - All love comes from God, and all love reflects the love that God has for His creation. The
Sacrament of Marriage is, first and foremost, a sign and symbol of this love.
The minister of the Sacrament of Marriage is the couple themselves. The priest serves as a witness.
KEY SYMBOLS
THE CROSS - Paradoxically a symbol of suffering and defeat but also of triumph and salvation, the cross is the
universal Christian symbol, acknowledged by all denominations as the single visual identifier of their
faith.
ALPHA AND OMEGA - the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, signifying that God is "the beginning and
the end," or eternal.
THE ICHTUS - The ichthys or ichthus is a symbol consisting of two intersecting arcs, the ends of the right side
extending beyond the meeting point so as to resemble the profile of a fish.
(Ichthus) is an acronym which translates into English as "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour".
CYCLE (The Liturgical Year)
The Liturgical Year is also marked by special seasonsAdvent, Christmas, Lent, The Triduum or Three Days, Easter,
and Ordinary Time. The Liturgical Year begins on the first Sunday of Advent, which usually occurs around the beginning
of December or the end of November, and ends on the feast of Christ the King.


CONTRIBUTIONS OF CHRISTIANS
(1) Hospitals, which essentially began during the Middle Ages
(2) Universities, which also began during the Middle Ages. In addition, most of the worlds greatest universities were
started for Christian purposes.
(3) Literacy and education for the masses.
(4) Capitalism and free enterprise.
(5) Representative government, particularly as it has been seen in the American experiment.
(6) The separation of political powers.
(7) Civil liberties.
(8) The abolition of slavery, both in antiquity and in more modern times.
(9) Modern science.
(10) The discovery of the New World by Columbus.
(11) The elevation of women.
(12) Benevolence and charity; the good Samaritan ethic.
(13) Higher standards of justice.
(14) The elevation of common man.
(15) The condemnation of adultery, homosexuality, and other sexual perversions. This has helped to preserve the
human race, and it has spared many from heartache.
(16) High regard for human life.
(17) The civilizing of many barbarian and primitive cultures.
(18) The codifying and setting to writing of many of the worlds languages.
(19) Greater development of art and music. The inspiration for the greatest works of art.
(20) The countless changed lives transformed from liabilities into assets to society because of the gospel.
(21) The eternal salvation of countless souls.





STATUS